According to Focus Taiwan, president of HTC North Asia Jack Tong, said that manufacturing volume will double this month compared to April and will continue to grow into next month in order to meet “strong demand” for the company’s flagship handset, which was officially released late last month, but ended up getting on shelves before the Samsung Galaxy S 4 in some markets.

The company had a fairly negative first quarter, with revenue down to $1.45 billion, but HTC is hoping that a boost in production along with sales of the HTC One will see the company turn itself around in time to report its Q2 earnings. After all, the company saw almost a 50% drop in sales compared to the same quarter last year.

Then again, HTC can’t completely rely on the One to keep the company afloat. They have other recently-released devices out on the market, including the HTC First “Facebook phone,” which actually isn’t doing so hot on the selling floor. It’s exclusive carrier, AT&T, recently dropped the subsidy down to just $0.99 from $99 after just a month of being on the market, which is something we don’t see very often and it usually means that things are going south for the device.

The HTC One is available on AT&T and T-Mobile starting at $199, with AT&T having exclusivity for the 64GB version at $299. The phone has a 4.7-inch display with a resolution of 1920×1080, which offers you a full HD display with a super-high pixel density. Under the hood is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 clocked at 1,7GHz with 2GB of RAM to keep things humming along. Check out our full review to learn more about the device.

VIA: ZDNet

“HTC is not currently planning a ‘Nexus Edition’ of the HTC One,” Senior Global Online Communications Manager told us in a statement, when asked if the company had any intention of producing a pure-Android model. So far, the only such device in recent years – running Android but without HTC’s own Sense interface – has been the HTC First, though that is modified with Facebook’s alternative Home launcher.

Speculation about just what HTC might have in the pipeline was quickly stoked just after the Galaxy S 4 Nexus Edition announcement, when one of HTC’s own team seemingly hinted that a similar device might be considered. “So you can pay $649 for a piece of plastic running stock or… You can wait :)” ‘HTC Champion” Jet Leigh took to Twitter to tease.

However, it seems that really was just a tease. Calls for HTC to release its esteemed One hardware but without the Sense 5 it launched with – and with the promise of timely updates to the core, untampered-with Android OS – began as soon as the phone itself was announced.

Samsung’s phone for Google will have the same hardware as the mainstream Galaxy S 4, but will leave aside TouchWiz and the software customizations the South Korean company has developed. Instead, developers – the target market, and likely the only group who will legitimately consider the $649 sticker price – will get an unlocked 16GB phone that also comes with an unlocked bootloader, and one for which Google has committed to prompt Android OS updates.

Whether the appeal of Samsung’s hardware will be enough to distract developers from the considerably cheaper Nexus 4 remains to be seen. The LG-made smartphone has more humble specifications that the Galaxy S 4, but also comes in at around half the price.

So not only are we testing the camera capabilities of these three devices, but you’ll also get an exclusive look at NVIDIA‘s Android game-console doubling as a remote as it controls and flies the Parrot AR Drone. Talk about gadget overload. There’s a lot of different needs that come to mind when someone decides on a smartphone or camera, and here we’ll be showing three different options, as well as their pros and cons.

Obviously with the HTC One you’ll get full 1080p video capture using their Ultrapixel camera one the smartphone. Which is an experience that these days everyone is pretty familiar with. Flip on the camera and aim your smartphone at the subject. This is convenient, but then this is also where Google Glass just takes things up a notch. You’ll enjoy nearly the same video experience, only completely hands-free. Everyone has mixed feelings about Google Glass, but being able to record demo videos for you guys, hands-on video, unboxings and more without a tripod and just using Glass is quite nice.

Google Glass in a way has opened up an entire new experience and way we easily and quickly record video. Yes you can attach a GoPro to your chest, but this is different. Below you’ll see three videos. The first being a quick demo of the NVIDIA SHIELD recorded by Google Glass. The second will be with the HTC One. Then the third will be a back-and-forth video in a different setting comparing Glass to something like the Olympus OM-D camera.

Google Glass 720p video capture

As mentioned above, the simple and hands-free experience using Glass is nice, but you’ll instantly notice the video is a little jerky at times. Here’s where there are both pros and cons. Glass video is hands-free, easy to do, and convenient but you’ll have to learn to hold that head of yours still. It takes some getting use to, and you might want to use hand gestures instead of turning your head, or moving it at all.

Then with Glass you only get 720p video capture on that 5 megapixel lens, but the quality is pretty excellent. You’ll also notice just how wide the video is compared to the HTC One video below. Pay attention to colors, brightness, and even audio levels.

HTC One 720p video capture

To be fair we recorded this on 720p as well, just like Glass, and right away you’ll notice the stability. Some image stabilization could help Glass, but it will only do so much. In general we’re all familiar with recording video through our phones, and as a result, the end product is clear, crisp, and not all over the place. The HTC One video capture handled the changing light outdoors better, and overall the colors and contrast we’re pretty even. You will however notice the audio capture on Glass wasn’t very good, and it was much clearer from the HTC One.

Last but not least the third video we wanted to toss in for good measure has the Olympus OM-D E-M5 camera capturing some moments with NVIDIA SHIELD, then it switches to Google Glass. This might be harder to follow, but we had our head and Glass on NVIDIA as they explained SHIELD, then our Olympus OM-D on the product. So each time you see SHIELD it’s through a dedicated camera, and the rest is shot with Google Glass.

While this last video isn’t quite something you can “compare” it does however show you another set of options and opportunity with Glass. Being able to record the same situation and demo simultaneously, without having 3 arms. There’s obviously advantages and disadvantages from each, but we wanted to give you the video and let you decide.

Does the loss of 1080p capture and slightly lower audio quality throw you off, or does the convenience and endless opportunity to record with Glass make it worth the trade off? You won’t all be recording with two devices, but what about the Father holding a child in one hand, yet still capturing his daughters soccer game at the same time? That is just one example, but a good one.

Okay, okay, just get a tripod and shoot video with that Olympus instead. Like we said, pros and cons. Since Glass isn’t evenly remotely close to being consumer ready, we won’t talk about price, but that will obviously be another factor later on. So what do you guys think about it. Does the opportunity and ease of recording with Glass give it a leg up on cameras and smartphones? Not to mention you can do it all by voice, or will you still opt for a dedicated camera? These are just a few small examples of the many, but we wanted to share it with you all. Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Hardware

Mophie has been making battery-cases for smartphones for years now, focusing on the iPhone and iPod touch; its line-up for Android phones is a lot smaller, with device-specific models only for the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S III (though the company offers generic portable batteries, too). The concept is straightforward, being a hard case that’s enlarged to accommodate a rechargeable power pack, that can be used to top up the internal battery in your phone.

For the HTC One, that means a 2.88 x 6.06 x 0.67 inch soft-touch plastic sled which adds 3.12 ounces to the weight of the phone (to compare, the One alone is 2.69 x 5.41 x 0.37 inches and 5.05 ounces). Black and silver versions will eventually be offered, to match the two finishes of the One itself, though only the black Juice Pack was available in time for our review.

More on the HTC One in our full review

Inside, there’s a 2,500 mAh battery, 200 mAh larger than the One’s own battery, charged from a standard microUSB port on the bottom of the case. That simultaneously charges the One, too, thanks to a pass-through microUSB connection which is plugged in when you slide the phone inside. It’s a snug fit, involving pulling off the Mophie’s top cap, slotting the One into the groove, and gently pushing it all the way into place; once the case is closed up again, there’s no wiggle or movement.

Although the sides and rear of the One are covered up, you still get access to all the ports and buttons. Pass-through controls for the power/standby key on top and the volume keys on the side are included – slightly oversized, which works well with gloved fingers, and the power button is IR-transparent so you can use the HTC TV remote control app still – and there’s a hole for the headphone socket too. The cut-out is big enough for most jacks, though if you’re using a set of headphones with an oversized plug, you might find the case gets in the way.

On the back, there’s a big cut-out for the UltraPixel camera and LED flash, along with a hole for the rear microphone. Flanking the microUSB port on the bottom edge are four connectors for a docking station (which we didn’t have to test). The only controls are a button to show battery status – using a row of four white LEDs – on the lower back of the Mophie, with a switch to turn on or off the flow of juice.

Usability and Performance

Make no mistake, once the One is in the Juice Pack you’re left with a big device. It’s almost comically large, in fact: the bowed back panel fills your palm, and while the soft-touch finish is pleasant to touch, the Juice Pack does make the One feel somewhat like the digital signature gadgets couriers tend to carry. If you’re in the habit of dropping your phone in your front jeans pocket, or your inside jacket pocket, you’ll immediately notice the difference.

It also feels like Mophie missed an opportunity to build some extra functionality into that expanse of plastic. HTC’s BoomSound speakers are usefully left exposed, for instance, and so a kickstand would have been an neat addition to prop the One up for hands-free video use.

Still, the Juice Pack certainly does what it promises to. Mophie recommends waiting until your One is at around 20-percent, and then flicking the switch to take the phone back up to around 80-percent; it takes more power to recharge a completely flat battery, or to top-up a battery until it’s entirely full. In our testing the Juice Pack took roughly around the same amount of time to recharge the One as the HTC adapter would.

In theory, you should be able to get a full recharge out of a single blast of the Juice Pack. In practice, following Mophie’s guidelines means it’s more like you’re doing a couple of periodic top-ups rather than going from zero to full. Still, with judicious control of the power switch and typical use of the One, we saw runtimes just short of the Mophie’s maximum 100-percent improvement.

Value

At $99.95, the Juice Pack isn’t the cheapest case or the cheapest external battery. If protection is what you’re after, there are far more form-fitting soft or hard cases on the market, priced from around $10; HTC’s own Double Dip Hard Shell for the One is $24.99, for instance.

Meanwhile, if you’re willing to sacrifice the integration, there are portable batteries with far more capacity than the Juice Pack provides. HTC offers the External Battery Bank (BB G600), for instance, a $50 block roughly akin to an oversized Zippo, and which – with 6,000 mAh to play with – could recharge your One twice before it needed topping up itself.

Then there’s the lifespan of the Juice Pack itself. Mophie rates the case for “over 500 full cycles” of 0-percent to 100-percent, after which point the battery inside “may provide less than 75-percent of the original capacity.” To be fair, that’s par for the course for any Li-Poly rechargeable battery, but it could mean that one day you’re carrying a heavy case that doesn’t really deliver in terms of a lasting charge. Whether that comes before the average two-year agreement is up, and you’re already thinking of getting a new phone, will depend on how much you use it.

Wrap-Up

There are cheaper ways to protect and charge your phone. A separate case and external battery will generally provide more runtime and a more easily pocketed handset. On the flip side, the best portable battery is the one you have on you when you’re running low on power, and the converged solution Mophie offers scores highly on that measure.

For some, the extra bulk the Juice Pack adds will be a deal-breaker. Certainly, it makes the One a big device, but if you’re a power-user the promise of up to double the runtime is a huge advantage, and we can’t really fault Mophie’s design for accommodating the One’s controls and features.

Download the latest version of Facebook from the Google Play store, and you can now set Facebook Home as the default launcher on the HTC One, just as you could on previous devices. On the Galaxy S 4, however, there’s an error message thrown up first – telling you that “Your device is not supported yet” and that users “may not get the best experience” if they use Home.

However, tap the “Use Home Anyway” button and the launcher springs up as usual. The same option, warning non-ideal performance but still allowing for us, has also been tested on the Sony Xperia ZL.

Expanding its userbase for Home across more devices is just what Facebook is hoping to see, and so offering a potentially less-than-perfect experience but still getting Home switched on is probably better for the social network than waiting until everybody can get the exact same experience. It’s too early to say just what the potential glitches might be on the Galaxy S 4.

Meanwhile, Facebook has also acknowledged that there is an unofficial APK of Facebook Home which some users are circulating, claiming to be aware of around 10,000 installs. The company is going to make no move to block that, it seems.

Among the other changes in the recent Facebook app update is a new, persistent bar in the notification area, which Facebook calls the “dash bar.” More on Facebook Home in our review.

[via Android Central]

Harlin says that the company’s DROID DNA is still the “HTC hero smartphone at Verizon,” and he claims that the DNA’s features “still compete with products in 2013,” which hints to the possibility that HTC may skip over Verizon this year, since they think that the DNA will last into 2014 before the company will need to release a new phone on Verizon.

The HTC One is been released on all major carriers except for Verizon, which is leading to so many questions and rumors on the Verizon version of the new device. Frankly, we’re not sure why the company isn’t releasing the phone on Verizon, and if they eventually do, it’ll way later than all the other carriers.

The HTC One is one of the newest Android devices to release this year so far, and it comes with an aluminum unibody shell, which is something that we rarely see on an Android device. The Samsung GALAXY S 4, which also was recently released, comes with the traditional plastic shell that Samsung used on its Galaxy S III.

In March 2013, HTC was down 48.57-percent compared to the same month a year previous. In April, however, that difference was trimmed to 36.87-percent; HTC isn’t giving any specifics in its terse statement, but it’s not hard to assume that the HTC One is likely to have had a big part to play in that.

Little could be worse than the Q1 2013 HTC detailed last week, certainly. The company’s revenues were down to a mere $290m in gross profit, with operating profit down to a wafer-thin $13.5m. In comparison, HTC made more than 127x more profit in the same three month period back in 2012.

Nonetheless, CEO Peter Chou was buoyant in his predictions for the success of the HTC One in the market, insisting that the company would see around $2.4bn in revenue for Q2 2013. That was dependent on getting the One onto more shelves, of course, after HTC stumbled over its original launch plans to have the phone on sale in eighty countries before March was through.

[via Unwired View]

“This was a pivotal quarter for HTC” CEO Peter Chou said of the opening period of 2013. The company had hoped to have the One on sale in as many as 80 countries before the end of March, but component and manufacturing issues meant that customers in only a handful of locations could actually pick up the new phone.

The result is dire revenues, with HTC seeing just NT$8.7bn ($290m) in gross profit, and operating profit diving from NT$5.1bn a year ago to a meager NT$0.04bn ($13.5m) in Q1 2013. That was slightly offset by HTC shaving away at its sales marketing spend, more than halving the amount it spent compared to the previous quarter.

Nonetheless, despite the poor showing, HTC is confident of a turnaround in Q2 2013, now that buyers in more locations can find the One in stores. Revenue for the quarter is expected to be around NT$70bn ($2.4bn), an increase of almost a billion US dollars.

Whether it can achieve that will depend in no small part on how well it can market the One in the face of the coming Samsung Galaxy S 4 onslaught. HTC’s phone does have some advantages, such as its UltraPixel camera giving better low-light performance, but the strength of Samsung’s promotional budget has already been demonstrated in the case of the Galaxy S III. Our review of the HTC One is here, and the phone launched on multiple networks in the UK in mid-April.

If that all sounds familiar, we’re not surprised. Chatter around the M4 began in early April, meshing in with this latest leak with talk of a dualcore processor, 16GB of onboard storage versus the 32GB+ of the HTC One, and 2GB of RAM.

However, those rumors pegged the M4 as more of a Facebook-free HTC First, rather than a mini-One. The Facebook Home phone has a 4.3-inch, 720p display after all, along with a dualcore processor, leading to suggestions that the HTC M4 would effectively be a rebadge of the predominantly plastic handset.

Instead, this new batch of rumor pegs a far closer aesthetic to the HTC One for the M4, though it’s unclear how much this is a speculative render from evleaks above, rather than a leak of the actual device. Although similar in design, it’s also expected to shelve some of the One’s rock-solid materials so as to hit a lower price point; whether that means metal-effect plastic rather than the sturdy unibody aluminum we’re so fond of on the One remains to be seen.

Otherwise, the M4 is expected to have LTE, a fixed 1,700 mAh battery – 600 mAh less than the One, not to mention 300 mAh less than the HTC First – and run Android 4.2 Jelly Bean when it arrives near the end of Q2 2013. The biggest difference from the First, beyond software, of course, is the inclusion of UltraPixel technology: HTC’s oversized pixels which trade sheer resolution for improvements in low-light performance.

As a strategy, it’s something we’ve seen work well in the Samsung Galaxy S III mini, borrowing halo branding and design to push a far cheaper model to those with less cash and less ambitious expectations. Whether it’s enough for HTC to continue turning around its 2013 remains to be seen.

Given the HTC One’s battery is non-removable, the Mophie promises to answer one of the biggest criticisms potential owners have of the phone (we only wish it added a microSD card reader, too). Like other Juice Packs, the One variant has pass-through USB for charging both phone and case, as well as synchronizing your phone with your computer, and an LED indicator row on the lower back to show the case’s remaining charge.

There’s also a standby-switch which, if flicked on, saves the Mophie’s power until you specifically want it; otherwise, the phone will run on its own battery. You still get access to the camera and – thanks to pass-through keys – the buttons for volume, power, and such. Mophie has even considered the IR blaster HTC built into the power button, which still works even with the Juice Pack in place.

Of course, the downside of strapping an extra battery to your phone is added bulk, and the Juice Pack does indeed add some heft to the svelte One. Together, they measure in at 2.88 x 6.06 x 0.76 inches, and the Mophie adds 5.05oz, effectively doubling the weight of the phone.

That may be easy to overlook if it means you can keep using your One, however. We found that Zoe photography – HTC’s mixture of burst-stills and short HD video clips – was particularly power-hungry in our review of the phone, and as such keen shutterbugs hoping to get the most out of the phone’s UltraPixel camera may well be the obvious target for Mophie’s new accessory. It’s shipping now in black, priced at $99.95, while the silver version will follow on in mid-May.

[via Android Community]

What you’ll be seeing here is not just a few words from some of the designers and developers of the phone, but some up-close-and-personal looks at the creation of this device as well. It’s important to note the efforts HTC is making to promote this device as HTC jobs do, indeed, depend on its success. The CEO of HTC has – infamously, at this point – promised he’ll quit if the HTC One doesn’t succeed.

The HTC One is shown here to have been cut of single pieces of metal and fit with plastic rims and a glass front precise enough to be considered a seamless construction. The HTC One is heading to the market in an atmosphere where the Apple iPhone 5 continues to be praised for its fine watch-quality detail and the Samsung GALAXY S 4 (recently) found its way into some not-so-great breakability reviews. With those top-selling (or about to be top-selling) devices up as head contenders, HTC has decided to play up its hardware credibility.

In the grand scheme of things, you’ll find HTC’s efforts to not be dependent solely on the success of the HTC One. Instead products like the HTC 608t and the HTC First (aka the Facebook Phone) keep the hardware company’s efforts light. And of course there’s always legacy models like the HTC One S and HTC One X, both of which continue to be available from all manner of retailers – watch for additional oddities appearing through the rest of 2013 as well.

The HTC One is a device that’s gotten reviews that are quite scarcely negative, mostly aiming for a place that’s not just good for the phone itself, but for HTC as well. With news that HTC wasn’t doing especially well in the market over the past several quarters, many writers appeared to have favored the HTC One doubly so, just to see HTC continue to make devices due to the successful build on this one.

So what would we have in an HTC One tablet? A response not only to the massive success Google has seen in the Nexus 7, but to the multi-tiered attack plan pushed by Samsung with their Galaxy Note series. While Samsung continues to reveal Galaxy Tab devices – including the Galaxy Tab 3 as recently as today – it should be clear that the slight boost in features the Galaxy Note offers is what Samsung is pushing as the setup they want consumers to choose.

So an HTC One tablet device might find success in a premium build – that’s what the HTC One handset is, after all. HTC is so confident in their design and marketing of the HTC One that the CEO of the company Peter Chou has bet his job on a successful season. Would he do it again if the HTC One handset were a success and the company brought a tablet with the same design sensibilities?

At the moment there really isn’t a wide variety of builds in the Android tablet market, and HTC hasn’t come forth with a design since the relative biffs that were the HTC Flyer and HTC Jetstream. They’ve made it clear that they’re not in the tablet business at the moment, but, even back when they made that note in October of 2012, their global online communications manager Jeff Gordon made note that they’d be “watching that market very, very closely.”

The time may be ripe later this year – stay tuned to see how the HTC One sells to decide for yourself if it’s time for a second dip.

However, there are obvious differences with this iteration. It comes with the same navigation soft-button layout as the HTC One, along with the dual speakers, although the design is certainly a step backward when compared to the aluminum unibody design of the HTC One. However, that’s typical for a budget device like this.

As for specs, it’s running Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and it’s packing a quad-core processor, although the exact chip being used is unknown at this point. As far as the display goes, it’s your traditional budget selection: 4.5-inch LCD running at a resolution of 960 x 540. There’s also an 8MP camera on the back, with a 1.6MP front-facer.

You’re also looking at 1GB of RAM, and the amount of internal storage is unknown right now, although don’t expect a lot of space to store all those songs and videos. The leak is Chinese, suggesting that the phone will make its way to China at some point, with a US release highly unlikely, although a similar phone could release in the states at some point.

[via Blog of Mobile]

The HTC fan blog HTCSoku turned up a code associated with an international edition of the HTC DROID DNA recently that showed a new mystery device by this same manufacturer. While the device this code was intended for was the HTC Butterfly X920d, again, the original version of the DROID DNA, here we see the “DLXPLUS_WL”, or the DLX Plus. This code also showed two other HTC Butterfly 2 devices (HTC has made it clear that this device is, indeed, in the works) with U and UL on their tails.

An HTC Butterfly 2 would be an incremental update to the hardware associated with the HTC Butterfly, or DROID DNA, that being the slightly more massive HTC device released at the end of 2012. HTC-loving developer and anonymous insider LLabTooFeR has spoken up several times on the device which will replace the Butterfly, that being the DLX Plus (or DLX+, if you prefer). LLabTooFeR has strongly suggested that this device – not necessarily the HTC One for Verizon, will be announced “Somewhere in between” the second and third quarters of 2013.

The DLXPLUS_WL has also been suggested to be a variant – or upgrade – of the DROID DNA made for non-Verizon carriers in the USA. This device would be released with the following specifications:

Qualcomm S4 Pro APQ8064 quad-core processor at 1.7GHz
4.7-inch display 1080p resolution
13 megapixel camera back-facing
2.1 megapixel camera front-facing
Internal storage: 16GB
RAM 2GB
Bluetooth 4.0
MicroSD card port for memory expansion
Sense 5.0
Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

Have a peek at our DROID DNA review from back in November of 2012 to see how similar this setup is to the original. According to HTCSoku, The HTC-made DLXPLUS_WL will be released with the Snapdragon 600 processor, the same processor working on the HTC One in each of its already-revealed iterations.

Final assessment (for now): Verizon will get a DROID DNA+, an upgrade to the DROID DNA they revealed at the end of last year, this time coming with some software feature updates and the same processor as the HTC One.

Sound reasonable to you? Or do you believe HTC would rather keep that top-dog processor to their one true hero device?

According to the details provided by HTC, the update is hitting the European model of the HTC One today, and will be rolling out in waves over the next week or so internationally. The update is focused on camera enhancements, and should make the impressive Zoe feature and more even better.

The update also claims to bring improved system performance and stability, as well as overall speed increased for the smartphone. We are still on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and the same version of Sense UI, but it should bring a noticeable increase across the board. Here’s the changelog:

• Improvement to sound capture with Zoe
• Noise reduction in slow motion movie capture
• Improved color reproduction and dynamic range (reduced over-exposure in non-HDR images) in certain conditions
• Fix to display correct ISO in EXIF information when ISO settings are manually changed by the user
• Improved system performance and stability

We loved the Zoe feature in our detailed HTC One Review, and surely improving the overall sound capture will only heighten the experience for HTC users. Then we’ll be sure to test the camera again for the mention of improved color reproduction and dynamic range. Again, the update will bring your device to version 1.29.401.13 and this is the international HTC One only.

We can expect this to arrive for handsets over the next week, so be on the lookout or manually head into settings > about phone > software and check for updates yourself. We’ll update when we get an ETA on the same update for the U.S. models.

The only thing that sets the two microphones apart is one digit. The Nokia Lumia 720′s number is 307, while the HTC One is 302. Nokia spoke with Windows Phone Central and stated that the numbers represent the manufacturing date of the microphones, and that the TD V1.4 label refers to Nokia’s exclusive code for the component. Nokia says that this isn’t a a patent issue with HTC, but a violation of the non-disclosure agreement between Nokia and the microphone’s manufacturer, ST Electronics.

Nokia sought an injunction against the HTC One because it says that HTC had no license to use the components. HTC issued an official statement regarding the injunction stating that it was disappointed in the decision and that it is “considering whether it will have any impact on our business” and that it “will explore alternative solutions immediately.” HTC is relying on its HTC One to save it from financial ruin, and this complication with Nokia, among its other complications with Nokia, isn’t making things easy on the company.

Last month, Nokia was granted a patent injunction in Germany against HTC over its power saving technology. The patent was over “Reduction of Power Consumption in a Mobile Station.” Luckily for HTC, the patent only affects 3 of its phones, the HTC Wildfire S, HTC Desire S, and HTC Rhyme, which are no longer imported into Germany. Hopefully HTC and Nokia are able to resolve these issues sooner rather than later. We’ll keep you posted if any new information comes up. Also, be sure to check out our reviews for both the HTC One and Nokia Lumia 720.

[via Engadget]

The benefit of picking up your HTC One from RadioShack is that the company is offering a nice extra. The big extra is that if you purchase the HTC One at a RadioShack location between now and June 1, you’ll get a $50 Google Play credit. That Google Play credit will go a long way toward getting you some new music, games, or other content to enjoy on your new smartphone.

RadioShack also has a Trade & Save Program that promises to make it easy to trade in your old phone for as much as $300 credit towards the new phone and accessories. RadioShack also gives buyers 24/7 Mobile Product Support at no cost with the purchase of mobile devices in stores. The $50 credit is available for buyers who opt for the HTC One on AT&T or Sprint.

The HTC One will cost you $199.99 at RadioShack when you register for qualifying two-year contract. Hardware wise, the HTC One from RadioShack is the same device you can pick up elsewhere. The phone is available with 32 GB of internal storage. AT&T will also be offering a version of the device with 64 GB of storage. However, RadioShack doesn’t mention if you can get the $50 Google Play credit on the 64 GB version.

[via RadioShack]

The handset will be available in both 32GB and 64GB flavors on AT&T, with Ma Bell being the exclusive carrier for the 64GB version, which means that if you’re hankering for as much storage space as you can get, AT&T seems like your only option at that point, but we can’t imagine 32GB not being enough for the everyman.

For now, you can only grab the glacier silver version of the HTC One, with a black model coming in the next few weeks, which AT&T will also have available in a 64GB flavor. If you decide to go with T-Mobile, you might be pleased to know that you’ll be treated with a free car dock, which is only for a limited time, so be sure to get there soon if you want it.

The HTC One will cost $199.99 and $299.99 for the 32GB and 64GB versions, respectively. T-Mobile users can expect a down-payment of $99.99 with another 24 monthly payments of $20. If it’s the unlocked or developer edition of the new device that you’re looking for, those have been delayed. The exact ship date isn’t known, but it’s said to be toward the end of the month.

[via Android Community]

This year’s CTIA 2013 event in Las Vegas will be taking place near the end of next month, May 21st through the 23rd. This Verizon event has been scheduled for the 22nd of May at 11AM PDT, and you can bet your bells that SlashGear will be live in-effect for the entire show. Verizon could also be revealing a new set of services, leaving the smartphone announcements to their own unique event(s) outside the convention.

Thus is the way of things with carriers, and thus has it been over the past few years with technology conventions. As we spoke about earlier this year immediately after attending Mobile World Congress 2013 in Barcelona, technology conventions aren’t dying, they’re changing. They’re evolving, and though we can guess and prod at the idea that Verizon might be bringing some smartphones to show off in Vegas, chances are they wont.

Have a peek at our HTC One full review for more information on that lovely smartphone and stay tuned for our full review of the Samsung GALAXY S 4 rather soon. These two devices are set to do battle throughout the summer as their businesses stake their name on their success. While the HTC One is a complete re-thinking of how the smartphone can be ideal, Samsung has invested in their already-successful design, further idealizing its innards.

Let us know what you’re planning on picking up, one way or another!

UPDATE: Looks like Verizon has now confirmed the GALAXY S 4 well before the event – time to get your HTC tickets out!

What we’ve got here is the HTC One Ultra Crystal Steinheil “enhanced optical hard coated film.” It ends up protecting your display with a single sheet of hard coated 4H over back and forth, up and down, and adding the protector is easy as pie. With a Spigen SGP screen protector you’ve got only to peel off one side, stick it flat, peel the other side, and poof- there it is.

What you’re seeing above and below is the HTC One’s display set to a bit dimmer setting than what it’s capable of – the transparency of the screen protector we’re looking at here is absolute. There’s no discernable effect on the brightness or the sharpness of the screen when you place this protector on.

Be sure to check out our HTC One Review as well as our AT&T HTC One Review for all the HTC One action you can handle!

You need no special spray to stick this film to your smartphone’s display, you’ll have just as much touch sensitivity as you had before applying, and you’ll no longer have to worry about gouges and scratches from the top of your reinforced glass to the bottom. This protector is going to run you $13.99 USD and is available right this minute straight from Spigen SGP!

This isn’t the first screen protector, case, or other oddity we’ve seen from Spigen SGP – in fact that’s rather far from the truth! Those fabulous folks at Spigen SGP have been sending review units to SlashGear for many moons now, and we’ve never been let down – have a peek at the timeline below for a few more looks at Spigen SGP gear and let us know what you’d like us to look at next!

To encourage the sales of the HTC One, from April 24th to April 28th, T-Mobile employees will be wearing HTC shirts to promote the launch. The T-Mobile HTC One will be sold for a $99 down payment, with monthly payments of $20 a month for 24 months. The pricing will vary based on your preferred internal storage size. Of course, if you’re willing to sign a two-year contract through a 3rd party reseller like Best Buy, you can purchase the phone for a subsidized price of $249.99 for the 32GB model.

Previously, a leak from Best Buy suggested that T-Mobile’s HTC One would release on April 19th, the same day AT&T plans on releasing it. Now, it looks like T-Mobile will be the last of the major carriers to launch the device (minus Verizon Wireless who we’re still not sure whether or not will be releasing the HTC One). While this is disappointing to T-Mobile users, at least they’ll feel at ease knowing that they will be using their HTC One on the much more cost-friendly Value Plans from T-Mobile.

The HTC One is HTC’s flagship smartphone and its last chance to get out of its financial rut. It features a 4.7-inch FULL HD 1080p display, a 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor, 32GB/64GB of internal storage, 2GB of RAM, a 4MP ultrapixel camera, 2.1MP front-facing camera, 2,300 mAh battery, 4G LTE, an IR Blaster, HTC Sense 5.0, and Android 4.2x Jelly Bean. It’s one heck of a device, and you can check it out for yourself through our review of the AT&T version of the HTC One.

[via Android Community]

“We have previously said that the new ‘One’ is HTC’s last chance for a turnaround” analyst Alvin Kwock wrote in an investors note last week, concluding that “we now think HTC has done enough to at least see a mini-turnaround.” According to his inquiries with HTC’s suppliers, the issues that had hamstrung stock of the smartphone “have significantly improved in the last two weeks.”

It’s enough to prompt Morgan to predict a 50-percent rise in Q2 revenue over Q1, though arguably that would not be hard since HTC recorded its worst ever quarter at the top of this year. The company blamed a shortage of UltraPixel camera components for the stock problem, which saw the One launch in just three of the eighty countries it had intended by the end of March. Supply chain sources claim the company also had problems getting sufficient voice coil motors for the phone.

That, among other reasons, led to suggestions that HTC had been downgraded as a customer by the supply chain, something Kwock says has also been addressed. The Morgan analyst cites new vendor qualification and technology transfer as key parts of that turnaround, along with a greater volume increase of orders, Focus Taiwan reports.

Nonetheless, there’s a long way to go before HTC is out of the woods, particularly with the GALAXY S 4 fast approaching. Last year’s Galaxy S III shipped 10m within two months of going on sale, and demand for the fourth-gen flagship is likely to be even higher as Samsung cranks up its marketing machine.

[via Android Beat]

The source code for the new phone is based on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, and all the files come in at 100MB in size after it’s all said and done. Of course, releasing source code for its phones is typical fashion for HTC, and the HTC One is simply added to a list of HTC devices with source code out in the wild.

While we would eventually see custom ROMs even if HTC didn’t release the source code for the One, the official source code makes sure that custom ROMs work seamlessly with the phones that they’re put on. Many custom ROMs come with caveats and may not be fully-functional. With the source code, developers are able to make flawless ROMs.

If you’re in the mood to grab an HTC One, you can do it right now because it’s available for pre-order on AT&T, with a release date of April 19 on both AT&T and T-Mobile. You can pick up the 32GB model for $199.99 and the 64GB model for $299.99. If you already happen to have HTC’s Droid DNA, the company also announced that the source code for the phone is available now as well.

[via Android Community]

T-Mobile confirmed that it would be carrying the HTC One during an event last month to announce its new UNcarrier mobile plans. Along with the iPhone 5 and the Samsung GALAXY S 4, the HTC One will join T-Mobile’s arsenal of mobile devices being offered in stores. The GALAXY S 4 is scheduled to arrive on T-Mobile on May 1, so the HTC One will beat Samsung’s new device to the punch.

While Best Buy’s listing for the T-Mobile version says the phone will sell for $249 after a two-year contract, T-Mobile will sell the phone at $99 down, with two years worth of monthly payments to pay off the full $699 price of the phone. For those looking to do the smaller down payment, it may be a good idea to head straight for a T-Mobile store if you’re in the market for an HTC One.

However, T-Mobile has yet to make an official announcement of the release date of the HTC One, so while Best Buy says that the phone will become available on April 19, we can’t be 100% sure that it will actually happen. However, a release date that’s right on the same path as AT&T seems very believable, we’ll ultimately have to wait for T-Mobile’s word before making the official call.

Design, Performance, and Usability

We’ve already comprehensively covered the core proposition of the HTC One in our original review. Suffice to say, the appeal of the matte-finish metal handset hasn’t waned since then. Build quality keeps it at the top of the pile of Android devices in recent memory, for a start, and having weighed the One against the Galaxy S 4 at the Samsung phone’s launch, it’s clear that HTC has the edge in design and quality. One mild concern is the tendency of the white polycarbonate inset strip running the edge of the phone to pick up color smudges when we kept it in our jeans pocket, though these usually rubbed off.

Some of the details stand out after a longer period with the phone. BoomSound has a ridiculous name, but we can’t argue with the audio performance: we’ve found ourselves showing off more video, as well as reaching for the One in preference to other devices when it comes to consuming multimedia from services like Netflix, simply because the front-facing stereo speakers are simply that good. The power from the speakers is also incredibly useful when using the One as a navigation device in the car, while the screen they flank is no slouch either, with a combination of 1080p Full HD resolution and a color balance that’s refreshingly level rather than skewed to over-saturation.

HTC One walkthrough:

Sense 5 and the BlinkFeed homescreen – which pulls together news, Facebook, Twitter, calendar, and tips from the phone – continues to draw our attention, even with the gloss of newness taken off it. With its Flipboard-style feed of headlines and images, BlinkFeed makes for a great distraction, though we can’t help but wish HTC would hurry up and add offline caching of articles, the ability to add your own RSS feeds, and Google+/Google Now integration. The latter would arguably make the biggest difference; we like the low-noise way the One slots your upcoming appointments into the first page of BlinkFeed tiles each day, and it would make a perfect fit for Google Now suggestions.

Overall, Sense 5 combined with Android 4.1 performs well, and with the exception of Photosphere we’ve not really missed anything from the very latest version of Jelly Bean. AT&T’s version of the One includes a customized browser, but despite our initial concerns, performance actually improved over the stock phone. In SunSpider, the test of JavaScript performance, the European One scored 1,118.9ms versus the 1,035.1ms of the AT&T version (in SunSpider, faster is better). Overall, we had no issues with the One’s quadcore 1.7GHz Snapdragon 600 processor pulling its weight running apps, and even AT&T’s preloaded software – which includes DriveMode, Family Map, Locker, Navigator, Ready2Go, Messages, myAT&T, Smart Wi-Fi, YPmobile, and Device Help – are neatly clustered into a folder rather than scattershot across the app launcher.

It’s not all perfect, though. A lingering frustration is the black menu bar that often appears in third-party apps, where HTC has followed Android guidelines and dropped a dedicated menu key, but apps aren’t yet putting the three-dot softkey where it should be, tucked out of the way in the corner. That means you lose a stripe of your 4.7-inch screen to a single control (the functionality of which varies widely) but, more annoyingly, the on-screen keyboard shifts up to accommodate it.

That has at times played havoc with our typing, our thumbs not extending sufficiently to avoid the menu key and thus interrupting text entry. Admittedly, it’s not HTC’s fault, but it’s an ongoing annoyance that apps not adhering to the latest Android UI guidelines continue to hit the Play store.

Camera and Multimedia

HTC’s UltraPixel strategy has proved divisive, with the company chasing more light instead of more megapixels. We’ve covered how the One uses its 4-megapixels extensively in our review, but we also gave the smartphone its chance to shine out in the wild, taking it to the New York Auto Show last month.

Your average tradeshow is tough going on a camera, whether it’s a DSLR, a point-and-shoot, or on a smartphone. The lighting ranges from ridiculously bright, meaning you get masses of reflections and glare, to moodily dark, making details difficult to pick out and the threat of noise a constant. In-between, there’s all manner of colored lights that can confuse a camera’s sensor.

The NY Auto Show was no different, but the HTC One held its own for the most part. All of the photos and video from our coverage of the new Chevrolet Camaro Z28 and the Corvette Stingray was taken using the One, for example, with us also using the Zoe “highlight” feature that creates summary videos based on 3.6s snippets of video and burst-stills.

For the photos, despite the mixed lighting conditions, the quality was surprisingly high. Blur is noticeably absent, the One being able to stick to faster shutter-speeds and lower ISOs thanks to its greater appetite for light, and photos which combine well-lit areas alongside much darker ones are impressively balanced. The phone is fast, too: back-to-back shots are roughly as swift as you can repeatedly tap the on-screen button.

Video, meanwhile, looks great at 1080p Full HD resolution, with the same impressive low-light and mixed-lighting performance as for stills. However, the noisy show floor proved a challenge for the One’s stereo microphones at times, however: you can certainly make out speech compared to background noise, but it lacks the pinpoint clarity you’d get with a directional microphone or a dedicated clip-on mic.

Nonetheless, for immediacy and convenience, the One certainly held its own. At full resolution and in perfect lighting, HTC’s choice of big pixels rather than lots of them struggles somewhat, but in more everyday situations the convenience of being able to take low-light situations in your stride wins out.

The downside with the One – and, specifically, with Zoe photography, which simultaneously grabs 20 stills and 3.6s of Full HD video – remains how multimedia is managed, particularly off the phone. We’ve already highlighted how poorly that plays with auto-upload services, such as those offered by Dropbox, Google+, and Facebook, which basically fill your cloud storage with dozens of nearly-identical shots. The AT&T version is no different in that respect, and HTC desperately needs to step up and address offloading media with its HTC Sync Manager app.

While it’s at it, we wouldn’t argue with more themes and flexibility for the Zoe highlights system: the One’s automatically curated showreels, which come complete with transitions, filters, and background music. We’re still impressed by how neatly the One knits these together, but the option for longer clips (currently it’s 30 seconds only) and the ability to use your own music would make the feature considerably more useful. We’ve found people are much more willing to watch our photos and video when they’re stitched into a highlight reel, and so a greater number of presets (out of the box there are six to choose between) would make it all the more engaging.

HTC Sense, Zoe, and Highlights demo:

One advantage those looking to AT&T for their One will have is capacity. The carrier has the US exclusive on the 64GB version, other networks making do with the 32GB model, and given the amount of data Zoe photography creates, and that there’s no microSD storage option, that makes a big difference. It’s not a cheap way to boost capacity, though: AT&T is asking $199.99 for the 32GB One, or $100 more to double the memory.

Phone, LTE, and Battery

HTC’s BoomSound speaker technology means the One has no problems pushing out in-call audio, and happily performance on AT&T’s network matched up with that. We had no problems keeping a signal, even though HTC squeezes the One’s antennas into the tiny polycarbonate notches in the unibody case, and hardly a dropped call, even in areas where coverage was patchy.

We tested LTE performance in multiple locations where AT&T currently offers service, including New York City, Denver, Wichita, and San Francisco. Speeds ranged from as much as 39Mbps downloads and nearly 19Mbps uploads, location depending, though averaged out at 15.95Mbps down and 7.06Mbps up. In contrast, we saw peeks of 37Mbps down and nearly 11Mbps up on an iPhone 5 using Verizon’s LTE network.

LTE has a reputation for being power hungry, and while the One’s 2,300 mAh battery isn’t small, the fact that it can’t be removed – unlike, say, the battery in Samsung’s Galaxy S 4 – has left some wary of the quadcore smartphone. In practice, we’ve found the One has sufficient legs to last through the day, particularly if its power management systems are turned on. These put data to sleep after periods of extended inactivity, waking them only occasionally to check for new messages and other updates, as well as reducing screen brightness and enabling other frugal systems.

Over the course of a sixteen hour day, then, with a mixture of cellular and WiFi connectivity, we saw roughly 30-percent of the battery left. More patchy use of WiFi saw LTE take a greater toll, with 20-percent left after just over twelve hours. However, even when we forgot to plug the charger in overnight, the One proved frugal, only dropping a few percentage points thanks to the data throttling.

Wrap-Up

Nothing about AT&T’s version of the HTC One has changed our positive impression of the smartphone. In fact, native LTE support for the US has only improved our takeaway opinion: the One is beautifully constructed, slickly designed, fast, has thoughtful software tweaks – a few third-party app UI glitches aside – and a great, flexible camera.

The road ahead for HTC isn’t going to be an easy one. Samsung’s Galaxy S 4 is the specter on the near horizon, and for however much it may offer an evolutionary step up from its Galaxy S III predecessor, it comes with the might of the South Korean company’s prodigious marketing machine (and its equally massive budget). In contrast, the One sees HTC take a far greater risk than it has in recent years – in investment in construction, camera strategy, and software – and, for the most part, that pays off in the quality of the overall device.

The Samsung Galaxy S 4 is, if last year’s model is anything to go by, likely to be the default choice for Android buyers in 2013. However, the HTC One is arguably the more thoughtful choice. In AT&T form, it’s our favorite Android handset of the moment.

The original plan was to have the new flagship on sale across eighty countries before March was through, beating Samsung’s Galaxy S 4 to market and ending Q1 2013 on a high. Instead, HTC managed to launch in just three locations, and will not expand to North America, other European countries, and Asia-Pacific until the end of April.

At fault, Bloomberg reports, is a shortage of camera components. HTC stepped off the megapixel bandwagon with the One, opting to chase a smaller number of larger pixels – and reap the benefits in increased light sensitivity – rather than squeeze a greater number of smaller pixels into its metal-bodied phone.

That strategy resulted in a custom-designed “UltraPixel” sensor for the One, but sufficient supplies of the new CMOS have apparently hamstrung HTC’s roll-out schedule. It’s unclear if the shortage is related to rumors that HTC has been downgraded as a customer by the supply chain, after unexpectedly slashing orders for previous ranges.

HTC had been expected to make roughly $15.6m in net profit in Q1 2013, Reuters calculates, while the companies own revenue forecasts had been T$10-20m more than the T$42.8bn it actually posted.

More on the HTC One in our full review.

So what’ve we got here? We’ve got a potential for three devices. The First two are confirmed, while the third might actually just be an early iteration of the second. The HTC First is the Facebook Phone which we’ve heard about this week, it’s specifications turning up to be mid-tier all the way, complete with a 5 megapixel camera on its back and a 4.3-inch display: these two specs will be important in a moment.

HTC First
• 4.96 x 2.56 x 0.35 (in) (LxWxT)
• 4.3 inch, HD 720p, 341 PPI
• Weight: 4.37 oz
• Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
• Facebook Home UI
• Qualcomm 8930AA, dual core 1.4 (Snapdragon 400 MSM8930)
• Internal storage: 16GB, available capacity varies (this spec suggests different editions are on the way)
• NFC, Bluetooth 4.0
• 5-megapixel camera on back, 1.6-megapixel camera on front, both front and back with BSI sensor
• 2000 mAh battery

See our full HTC first and Facebook Home hands-on walkthrough now!

This device is rather similar to the HTC e1, a smartphone released in China earlier this year with HTC’s own Sense user interface. This device also has a 4.3-inch display and a 5 megapixel camera on it’s back. It looks a lot more like an HTC One X than the HTC first does, on the other hand.

HTC e1
• 5.05 x 2.63 x 0.39 (in) (LxWxT)
• 4.3 inch, 480 x 800, 216.97 PPI
• Weight: 4.59 oz
• Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
• HTC Sense 4.0 UI
• Qualcomm MSM8960, dual core 1.5 (Snapdragon S4+)
• Internal storage: 8GB, microSD card slot for expansion by 32GB
• NFC (depending on operator), Bluetooth 4.0
• 5-megapixel camera on back with BSI, 1.6-megapixel camera on front, HTC ImageChip inside for image processing
• 2100 mAh battery

So the two are different enough not to be mistaken for one another on the street with their looks, but close enough in design specification-wise to have been created to attack the same market. Of course the inclusion of Facebook Home on one and not the other makes them utterly, utterly different when it comes to who will actually pick them up. Then there’s the HTC M4, a device that’s not get gotten a final market name.

HTC M4
• 5.05 x 2.63 x 0.39 (in) (LxWxT)
• 4.3 inch, HD 720p, 341 PPI
• Weight: N/A
• Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
• HTC Sense 5.0 UI
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 MSM8930, dual core 1.2Ghz
• Internal storage: N/A
• Bluetooth 4.0
• UltraPixel camera on back with unknown megapixels, 1.6-megapixel camera on front
• Battery Size N/A

Sounds like a combination of the HTC First and HTC e1, doesn’t it? If you’re thinking about picking up an HTC smartphone specifically in the next few months and for one reason or another want to avoid the HTC One, you might want to wait for this un-named HTC M4 device – especially if it works with UltraPixel technology.

Of course if you want to roll with Facebook Home, you’ll want to consider the HTC First instead. Then again, you could still simply load Facebook Home to your smartphone via the Google Play app store like everyone else and have an UltraPixel camera on your device on top of it all.

Let us know what you think, and head down to our HTC first timeline below for more information on this brand new smartphone. And don’t forget to hit up our Android Hub while you’re at it!

This device is set to be the same size, have the same display, and essentially look the same as the HTC First, but it wont have Facebook and it will have a much more excellent camera on its back. What you’re getting with the HTC First is a 5 megapixel camera – standard, as far as HTC and Facebook has said, while the HTC M4 will have UltraPixel technology onboard.

HTC M4
• Snapdragon 400 MSM8930 1.2 Ghz Dual-Core
• Screen 4.3 inch 720p resolution
• Cameras: HTC UltraPixel/1.6M
• GPS/Glonass
• ROM 16GB
• RAM 1GB
• WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n
• Bluetooth 4.0
• Android 4.2.2
• Sense 5.0

So yes, that is the same as the HTC First, but with the images provided by PocketDroid and the information we’d gotten back in February, it’s looking quite likely that the baby brother of the HTC One is on the way. Maybe we’ll call it the HTC 1/2 or HTC Zero. Why not?

Have a peek at our timeline of information on the HTC First including our own hands-on with it and Facebook Home recorded earlier this week! If this device is delivered with less Facebook and more photography power – HTC One style – we’ll certainly be onboard!

Thanks for the tip, Jack!

[via LabTooFer]

This campaign will of course also make it clear once again that you’ll be able to pre-order the HTC One through a series of sources right this minute for delivery on the 19th of April – you’ll want to pick one up from AT&T here at the start or wait for the T-Mobile release “later this spring”! You’ll find the 32GB edition available for $199.99 on a two-year contract while the $299.99 64GB edition will be available exclusively at AT&T.

Have a peek at our own HTC One review now!

Product experience stops will be accented by several HTC BoomSound Lounges which will provide some lucky fans the opportunity to see 1,000 fan limited engagements with a variety of musical artists. You’ll find Pharrell in New York, the Manchester Orchestra in Los Angeles, and Grouplove in Chicago!

HTC BoomSound Lounges can be found at:
• Columbus Circle in New York
• Embarcadero Plaza in San Francisco
• Hollywood and Highland in Los Angeles
• Wrigleyville in Chicago
• Franklin Square in Philadelphia
• Perimeter Mall in Atlanta

HTC One Showrooms will be appearing in:
• Atlanta
• Chicago
• Dallas
• Houston
• Los Angeles
• New York
• San Francisco
• Washington, D.C.

Have a peek at our massive HTC One tag portal for more information and check the HTC One timeline below for more hands-on action than you can handle!

When you’re all about the HTC One with AT&T, both it and the GALAXY S 4 being 4G LTE compatible, you’ll be paying $199.99 for the 16GB iteration as well. At the moment it would appear that the HTC One will be coming in a 64GB edition to AT&T in the USA and this carrier will be the only carrier inside the USA to bring such a size. If you want a 64GB version of the GALAXY S 4, you may have to look elsewhere.

That said, the GALAXY S 4 does come with a microSD card slot that’ll allow you to expand your internal storage space by 64GB – the HTC One cannot claim the same at the moment. Of course if you want to check out the Chinese edition of the HTC One, you’ll be getting a microSD card slot where you can jam all sorts of extra storage. But then again and again, you wont be working with that device on any USA radio bands!

See our HTC One Review as well as our Samsung GALAXY S 4 hands-on experience for more information on these two titans! And don’t forget our HTC One vs GALAXY S 4 post as well!

Have a peek at our timeline below of recent AT&T posts so you know what you’re up against when you’re switching from the device you’re working with now. The big blue carrier will have essentially every major smartphone from here until the end of time, so you’ll have choices, but you’ll want to know what you’re getting into!

[via AT&T]

It’s common for smartphone manufacturers to offer multiple versions of any particular device specifically to suit different carriers. In the US this commonly happens with versions of a new smartphone for AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. The same thing is happening in China with China Unicom, China Mobile, and China Telecom each getting their own version of the HTC One.

Some images of the HTC One 802W have turned up online showing this particular device has a few hardware features that are apparently exclusive to China. Those features include a pair of SIM card slots and a memory card slot. While most people can live without that extra SIM slot, the fact that the Chinese version of this phone gets a microSD card slot will irritate some people.

The SIM card slots and the memory card slot are hidden underneath a removable back cover for the Chinese version of the phone. The European version of the smartphone has only a single SIM card slot and the back cover is not removable. There’s no word on whether or not any of the hardware specifications have changed in the Chinese version of the smartphone.

[via Engadget]

The pricing details run contrary to previous rumors about AT&T’s plans for the phone, which suggested the carrier would demand $250 for the 32GB version. That, unsurprisingly, met with vocal criticism, given that HTC needs to make the One as big a success as possible if it’s to claw back market share.

AT&T will offer both the black and the silver versions of the One, both packing LTE connectivity. The smartphone also has a 4.7-inch Full HD display, 1.7GHz quadcore processor, and HTC’s special UltraPixel camera, which uses oversized pixels for improved low-light performance.

The camera also includes Zoe recording, a blend of burst-capture stills and brief Full HD video recording which can then be automatically cooked up into a half-minute “highlight reel.” There’s more on how Zoe technology works in practice here.

AT&T will also preload its own AT&T DriveMode app, a car-mode system which kicks in when the One is in a vehicle traveling at above 25mph. It will automatically reply to texts, emails and calls to reduce the risk of driver distraction.

There’s more on the HTC One in our full review.

According to Engadget, who received an anonymous tip on the leak, reports that AT&T is planning to open up pre-orders at the end of the week, with Thursday being the big day for online pre-orders, while in-store pre-orders start the day after. It seems users will be able to grab the 32GB version in either white or black for $250 after signing a new two-year contract, which is the same price as the GALAXY S 4.

Of course, AT&T will also be carrying a 64GB variant of the new device, and they’ll be the only carrier doing so. Customers will be able to get a 64GB version for $300, although it appears that it won’t be available right away for pre-orders. According to a leaked screenshot, HTC One display units won’t be available during the pre-order period either.

April 4 is only a few days away, so we should be hearing from AT&T in no time as far what the official word is with HTC One pre-orders. However, like the pre-orders with the GALAXY S 4, we don’t expect a release date just yet. We should also be hearing official word from other carriers as well, if they plan on opening up pre-orders around the same time as AT&T.

[via Engadget]

Alongside the 64GB HTC One, AT&T will also offer both the silver version of the device (Glacier Silver) and the black version of the device (Stealth Black). AT&T also showed off two accessories that it will be selling alongside the HTC One. There’s the HTC Double Flip Case, that works just like the Samsung Galaxy Flip Cover and also doubles as a stand for hands-free viewing. There is also the Morphie Juice Pack that doubles as both a case, as well as an extended battery pack for heavy users.

Taking the center of attention in AT&T’s video is the HTC Blinkfeed and the HTC Zoe. AT&T shows off Blinkfeed’s simple, yet attractive interface that allows you to get all of your social network updates, news stories, and apps into a single timeline. HTC Zoe brings a whole new smartphone camera experience to users, taking 20 consecutive pictures while simultaneously recording a 3-second HD video. It creates a short, easily shareable story.

The HTC One is set to to launch in the United States before the end of April. Manufacturing of the phone was delayed due to supply shortages and manufacturers not treating HTC as a top-tier client. Many consumers are opting to get the HTC One, even over the recently announced Samsung GALAXY S 4. While it’s unfortunate that HTC is still playing favorites with AT&T, 32GB of storage should be sufficient for most users. If you’re still unsure whether the HTC One is the device for you, check out our review of the handset.

I’m bad at taking photos, especially when I’m away. All too often I’ll come back from a trip and realize I have nothing – bar the memories in my own head – to show for it. Stills seldom capture the emotion of a moment, while video gets long and unwieldy, and thus goes unwatched.

Zoe, though, combines a burst of twenty stills with about three and a half seconds of Full HD video. You can shoot just stills, or just HD video, but HTC expects most One users to give up on regular images and instead use Zoe mode: once you’ve captured a cluster of shots, you can then scroll through and pick out the one with the best framing or facial expressions, or indeed combine features from two stills into one. The One also automatically combines a selection of Zoes into a highlight reel, 30s of curated content complete with music, effects, and transitions.

What Zoe is particularly great at, though, is putting photography into a framework. You’re not just snapping hundreds of stills and recording dozens of videos – which, if you’re anything like me, you have a strong suspicion that you’ll never actually look through or share after you’re home. Instead, you start to think about photography in terms of easily snackable chunks of content: a simple 30 second highlight reel that you can imagine actually showing someone without having to worry that you’re boring them.

Find out all the details on the UltraPixel camera and Zoe system here

It also makes you think of your life in terms of events. On every other phone I’ve used, I’ve never bothered with albums: all of my images and videos have been left in one long stream of content (and one I seldom bother scrolling back through). On the One, though, you start to consider how an event might look when seen as a highlight reel: I started purposefully shooting panning shots that I knew would be particularly good at setting the scene, for instance, and tried to take more photos of people and their reactions, rather than just impressive landscapes.

The result is a gallery I actually want to flick back through, and photos I actually want to show to people. Highlight videos that require less than a minute’s investment in time are perfect for attention-short social networks like Facebook, Google+, and Twitter, and of course since it’s Android there’s fully baked-in sharing with whatever service you have installed.

It’s not all perfect, however. As we noted in our review, right now the One gives you no control over what resolution the Zoe highlight reel is encoded at – it’s Full HD or nothing – and that makes for a big video. When you’re roaming abroad, it means finding a (fast) WiFi connection is essential unless you want to bankrupt yourself with foreign data fees.

That’s not the only upload-related headache. Zoe doesn’t work at all well with automatic-upload systems; I love how Google+ pushes new photos and videos to the cloud in the background, ready for me to share them later, but on the One every single shot is queued up for the same online treatment. Given each Zoe consists of twenty stills as well as the brief video, that means a whole lot of unnecessary duplication when you browse through online. “You have 3825 new photos ready to share” Google+ eagerly informed me, after suggesting that I might want to pay to upgrade my Google Drive storage.

In fact, there’s a sense that HTC only really thought about the photography experience on the One itself, not that people might want to explore their shots outside of the handset. Having spent a couple of hours sifting through all of the multiple Zoe shots after dumping them over to my computer, picking out the best/least blurry/most interesting to share with family, the comparative value of the highlight reels began to wane. For every scene there were twenty shots to key through, and the HTC Sync Manager app does nothing but push everything into iPhoto.

HTC really needs to offer more granular – and straightforward to use – control over which photos are treated as the default by other apps and services, particularly given the shortcomings of the current highlight reel selection process. Eventually, you should be able to pick out which images are used to build the automagically-edited video; right now, though, the only way to manually control what’s included and what isn’t is to sort them manually into different Event albums (the One splits up events that are at different times and locations automatically, but I found it still mixed together activities while I was away).

Those Events can then be used to create more specific highlight reels, but then you miss out on auto-uploading, since most such services only look at content in the root Photos folder. Events on the One are organized into subfolders, unless you copy rather than move them, in which case you run into storage limitations (which, since there’s no memory card slot, could quickly become an issue given the size of each single Zoe cluster).

I’d love to see HDR support in Zoe mode (at the moment, you can only use it in standard camera mode); that generally works well, though it sometimes left the sky oddly colored in brighter scenes. The ability to opt for longer highlight reels would be great too: a minute or 90 seconds, perhaps, to fit in more media from longer Events.

The fumbles and glitches don’t undermine the overall experience, however. HTC’s decision to opt for a 4-megapixel-equivalent sensor might mean we get stuck with awkward “UltraPixel” branding, but it doesn’t stop the One from taking solid shots and delivering great low-light images (useful for when you’re taking food photos in restaurants; yes, I know it’s a cliché, but I still did it).

Zoe seemed like a gimmick at first, but it’s enough to make me reach for the HTC One in preference to the iPhone 5 or any other Android handset when I know I’m likely to be taking photos. Now HTC just needs to bring its sync app up to speed too, as well as do a better job of explaining to potential consumers why they might end up thinking the same, if they’d only give the One a try.

Despite being a clone, the HDC One still offers decent specs, especially for the low price tag, making it a budget option for those in China looking for the style without the price tag. Still, it is worth noting that the handset is slated for release on April 1, and though the date may be coincidental, it’s always worth the pause to stop and consider the validity of anything on that date.

As far as design goes, the only difference between the HDC One and the HTC One is the lack of an aluminum body, with the Chinese company swapping it for a plastic frame. Aside from that, everything is the same – the position and design of the speakers, the power button’s location, etc. The differences become apparent, however, when you start looking at what it is running under the hood.

While the HDC One runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, it offers a 1.2GHz quad-core MediaTek processor, a big difference over HTC’s Qualcomm 600 processor. There’s a single gigabyte of RAM, and the display comes in at 720p HD. There’s an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera, as well as a tiny 1,700mAh battery, which means users will be charging it fairly often.

As far as cloned handsets go, the HDC One is about as close to the HTC One you can get – visually, at least – without buying the real deal.

[via Android Community]

With the release of the HTC One, the manufacturer has bet a whole lot on the hardware as a proving point in their history. With this release, the company known as HTC says that they’ve done the best they’re able at the moment – this is the HTC One, and it’s named that for a reason. According to iFixit, this device is just about the most difficult smartphone to tear apart they’ve come across – but that’s not all bad news for you if you’re a general consumer.

The HTC One does not have a removable battery, nor is it able to take a microSD card. It’s got a body that’s made from one solid block of machined aluminum with a lovely pane of reinforced glass up front. A collection of awesomely odd bits and pieces can be found in the teardown, including this fun selection:

• Elpida BA164B1PF 2 GB DDR2 RAM
• Samsung KLMBG4GE2A 32 GB NAND flash memory
• Synaptics S32028 chip
• Cable for display labeled with DATE: 2012.11.30

That last bit proves that there’ve been bits and pieces of this device ready to rock for several months now – the back casing of the device can be seen to carry the date 2013/02/15, indicating that some of the parts have been added as recently as the middle of February (for this unit, anyway.)

Have a peek at the timeline we’ve got below of fabulous HTC One bits and pieces, and don’t forget to check out our full HTC One review as well. This is a device that’s set to either be a skyrocket-ready spaceship to the moon for HTC, or one of the biggest disappointments for the company in their history – if it doesn’t sell, that is. Have a peek at our full run-down now!

Now its important to note that pre-registration is not the same as pre-orders, but its still a good sign for HTC. HTC is focusing 110% of its efforts in order to make the HTC One a success. It needs the device to do extremely well in the market place in order for the company to get out of its financial troubles. However, considering how well-received the HTC One was when it was announced, and how it is touted as the “most beautiful Android smartphone ever”, the HTC One should be a huge success.

In the same statement by Mackenzie, he states that HTC is currently arranging delivery dates with various carriers in the United States, as well as other retailers. He expects the phone to roll out in the United States, as well as most of Asia and Europe, by late April. The HTC One will be available in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Taiwan this week, much to the excitement of many consumers.

The HTC One is an amazing device. It has been praised by critics everywhere, and even skeptics changed their minds about HTC devices. The HTC One will feature a variety of great features, such as its new Ultrapixel and Zoe technology, Blinkfeed, Sense 5, as well as its beautifully designed body. Many consumers have stated that they are most likely going to get this device instead of the Samsung GALAXY S 4. If you’re still unsure if you want to purchase this device, you can check out our HTC One hands-on review and see if it’s the device for you.

[via Android Community]

Meanwhile we’re still not sure on the release of the Verizon version of the HTC One, especially since we’ve heard several conflicting reports of its existence. Across the rest of Europe as well as across North America and the Asia-Pacific area we have indeed heard from HTC that the HTC One will be available before the end of April. In the UK, Germany, and Taiwan, the HTC One will be arriving next week – that’s quick!

“HTC has seen unprecedented demand for and interest in the new HTC One, and the care taken to design and build it is evidenced in early reviews. The new HTC One will roll out in the UK, Germany and Taiwan next week and across Europe, North America and most of Asia-Pacific before the end of April. We appreciate our customers’ patience, and believe that once they have the phone in their hands they will agree that it has been worth the wait.” – HTC Representative

If you’d like to know all about the HTC One, we’ve got so much information it’ll make your head spin. This device with it’s 4.7-inch display and Full HD resolution is currently the world record holding densest-display-toting machine available on the market – with a higher Pixels Per Inch than the HTC DROID DNA, the XPERIA Z, and the Samsung GALAXY S 4! Of course when you get to this point in density you’re not seeing a whole lot of difference when it comes down to it, but it’s fun to point it out!

“Stunning. The HTC One makes a compelling argument for being the best-made Android phone we can recall, a design that both looks and feels premium (though photos don’t tend to do it justice, making it look flat and overly simplistic). Last year’s One X was a solid device, with its polycarbonate plastic casing, but the One is leagues ahead. HTC went back to basics – CNC-intensive manufacturing processes; clever rethinking of how to finesse the most out of minimal antennas – with its industrial design, and the end result is a phone that’s creak-free and somehow timeless in the same way that Apple’s MacBook Pro design has gracefully evolved.” – Vincent Nguyen, SlashGear’s HTC One Review

Have a peek at our massive amount of hands-on experiences with the HTC One in the timeline below and our full review of the HTC One as well! Once this device arrives on carriers throughout the USA we’ll be giving you up-to-date looks at each edition as well! Gotta catch em all!

To create a massively successful device, you’ve got to be able to create enough supply to equal said device’s demand. While marketing is vastly important when it comes to creating a value proposition for prospective buyers of your product, it’s all for naught if you don’t have that product out on store shelves to sell.

Such is HTC’s dilemma right this minute.

As we’ve discussed previously, Samsung’s advertising budget (marked at $401 million in 2012 alone vs HTC’s measly $46 million) is set to play a major role in the upcoming battle between the GALAXY S 4 and the HTC One. It’s not because of a superior product that the Samsung device will be more visible in the media. HTC is currently placing a lot of hope in viral marketing and direct shout-outs at Samsung, hoping consumers will then make an informed decision based solely on device quality. Not that one device is necessarily better than the other, but HTC is likely considering this a good strategy in the face of Samsung’s continued torrential advertising downpour.

But what if I told you it was possible for Apple to (indirectly) control the components of these two devices as they go to war with one another?

Consider the amount of devices Apple sells that contain aluminum as a crucial part of their hardware. The most recent quarterly sales report has Apple shipping the following:

47.8 million iPhones
22.9 million iPads
4.1 million Macs
12.7 million iPods
=
87.5 million Apple devices that require aluminum parts in their fiscal Q1 2013

According to Strategy Analytics, Samsung shipped 15.4 million Galaxy S III units through the fourth quarter of 2012. It’s not as if Samsung is hurting for cash, and it’s important to note that this is just one of several Galaxy-branded smartphones on the market (Strategy Analytics put Apple’s iPhone 5 specifically at 27.4 million units shipped in the same quarter). But when you’re up against Apple, a company with enough cash and high enough status with suppliers to potentially buy out entire supply lines of certain components, such concerns can potentially have a very real effect on your industrial design choices.

HTC simply does not have the same status with parts suppliers that Apple does. With or without the rumor linked above being true, HTC’s financial situation (when compared to Apple’s) simply does not add up to tier-one priority for suppliers. For HTC, the problem rests squarely in their choice between two evils:

1. Making a product with choice components and possible supply troubles.
2. Creating a sub-par product with no supply problems at all.

No matter how awesome your product is, you still need the parts to build it before you can bring it to market and sell it.

Will we see the HTC One in stores soon? We sure hope so. Will it be delivered early enough to take a firm grasp of the hype created by HTC here not too long after it’s initial reveal? We shall see!

And will Samsung make an aluminum smartphone any time soon? Though this supply war certainly isn’t the only factor involved in this decision-making process, a metal phone coming from Samsung is still unlikely. Do you create a device that sells 50 million units then follow up with something all new?

Don’t count on it.